How to check if toner is original before you buy (HP and Canon)

Fake toner is sold as genuine but made by someone else, often in boxes copied from the real thing. It can print faintly or with streaks, leak powder inside the machine, run out far sooner than the real cartridge, and in the worst cases damage the drum or fuser, which can cost far more to fix than the money you saved.

Compatible toner is different: it's openly sold as a non-original replacement, usually cheaper. Some compatibles work well. The problem isn't compatibles, it's being sold a compatible or a refill as an original at an original's price.

Price is the quickest test. Check what genuine cartridges cost from several sellers in our toner price list. If someone offers the same "original" cartridge at a third or half of that, ask why. Our researchers regularly see "original" toner on marketplaces at a fraction of retail prices, and those listings are the riskiest.

A slightly lower price from a big retailer or a promotion is normal. A price that seems too good to be true usually is.

• Look for the security label. Genuine HP toner boxes carry an HP security label. Tilt it and the image should shift colour.
• Scan the label. HP's security labels have a QR code you can scan with your phone to check the cartridge on HP's website.
• Check the seal and print quality of the box. Blurry printing, spelling mistakes, a re-glued box or a missing seal are warning signs.
• Match the full code. For example HP 106A is W1106A. Make sure both match what your printer needs.

• Look for the holographic security label that Canon uses on genuine supplies, and check it isn't a flat printed copy.
• Check the packaging closely: sharp printing, a sealed box and an intact inner bag.
• Match the exact code, for example C-EXV 60 for the imageRUNNER 2425. Our toner price list shows which machines each toner fits.

• Is this original, compatible or refilled? Ask them to write it on the receipt.
• Will you exchange it if it prints badly or leaks?
• Is the box sealed?

Buying from an established shop that gives receipts and stands behind what it sells is the simplest way to avoid fakes.

Stop using it if it leaks powder or leaves heavy streaks, because loose toner can spread inside the machine. Take it back to the seller with your receipt. If your copier now prints badly even with a new cartridge, have a technician check the drum and clean the inside before the problem spreads.

Toner is the biggest running cost of any laser printer or copier, so it's worth working out your real cost per page with genuine prices before you buy a machine.